Medical Care for Work-Related Injuries & Illness
When an employee is hurt in the course of their work, workers compensation coverage helps pay for
reasonable and necessary medical treatment tied to that injury or illness. This can include emergency
room visits, doctor appointments, hospital stays, physical therapy and some prescriptions, subject to
state rules.
For a Milwaukee employer, that might mean a chef receiving treatment after a deep cut from a knife, a
laborer getting care after a fall, or an office worker being treated for carpal tunnel that developed
over time. Instead of guessing which policy should respond, workers compensation is designed to be the
primary answer.
Emergency treatment
Ongoing medical care
Rehabilitation & therapy
Wage Replacement During Recovery
Most workers compensation systems include wage replacement benefits when an employee cannot work or can
only work in a reduced capacity because of a covered injury or illness. The exact percentage and
structure are set by state law and depend on the nature of the disability.
In day-to-day terms, it means that if a line cook in a Bay View restaurant, a delivery driver in
Wauwatosa or a technician in Greenfield is off work for a time due to a work-related injury, they can
still receive some income during that recovery, easing the financial shock for their household and the
employer.
Partial wage replacement
Temporary & permanent disability benefits
Helps employees focus on healing
Employer Liability Protection
Workers compensation policies typically include an employer’s liability component that can help protect
a business against certain lawsuits related to work injuries, within the boundaries of the law. While
the work comp system is meant to be the primary pathway for injury claims, there are situations where
additional legal actions arise.
Having a properly written workers compensation policy in place is part of how Milwaukee employers show
they are serious about their responsibilities and have a structure behind them when complex situations
develop.
Legal defense
Certain employer liability claims
Risk management support
Support for Return-to-Work Plans
Many carriers offer resources to help employers create return-to-work plans, so injured employees can
come back in a safe, gradual way as they recover. That might mean light duty tasks, adjusted hours or
temporary changes to responsibilities.
For a Milwaukee shop or restaurant, this can make the difference between losing a good employee entirely
or keeping them engaged in the life of the business while they heal. It is better for the worker, better
for the team and often better for long-term claims costs.
Light duty options
Transition back to full work
Stronger team loyalty
Owner & Officer Options
If you are an owner or officer in your business, you may have options to include or exclude yourself from
workers compensation coverage, depending on how your entity is structured and how the state treats your
role. These decisions affect both premium and protection.
We will talk openly about your daily involvement. Are you on the job site with your crews, behind the
line in the kitchen, or primarily in the office? There is a difference, and we want your work comp setup
to reflect reality rather than a guess.
Owner inclusion/exclusion discussion
Entity-type considerations
Balancing premium & protection
Premiums, Class Codes & Annual Audits
Workers compensation premiums are typically based on your payroll, the type of work your employees do
(class codes), and your claims history. Each year, carriers perform audits to compare estimated payrolls
with what actually occurred. That process can feel intimidating if no one explains it.
We walk through how your employees are classified, what is included in payroll, and what to expect at audit
time. Our goal is to avoid big surprises and to help you keep your books in a shape that makes the audit
straightforward instead of stressful.
Class codes tied to job duties
Payroll-based premiums
Annual audit preparation